Korean word

처녀

Pronunciation

Romanizationcheonyeo

Meaning

  • nounmaiden

Example

강가에서 마을 처녀들이 빨래를 하고 있었어요.kang kka e seo ma eul cheo nyeo deu ri ppal lae reul ha go i sseo sseo yo

Maidens from the village were doing laundry by the river.

Illustration for 처녀 (maiden)

More examples

그는 그녀의 처녀시절 사진을 보았다.keu neun keu nyeo ui cheo nyeo si jeol sa ji neul po at tta

He saw photos of her as a young woman.

Core concept

A young woman who has not yet married.

Common phrases

  • 처녀시절cheo nyeo si jeol

    maiden days

Similar words

아가씨agassi: A friendly word for a young unmarried woman.
미혼mihon: The state of not being married.
숙녀sungnyeo: A refined, well-mannered adult woman.

Definition in Korean

결혼하지 않은 젊은 여자를 이르는 말.kyeol hon ha ji a neun cheol meun yeo ja reul i reu neun mal

Word origin

처녀 (cheonyeo, "maiden") is a Sino-Korean word whose parts mean "staying at home" and "woman," and it came to mean a young woman before marriage.

Usage tips

  • This word often appears in compounds such as 처녀 시절 (cheonyeo sijeol, "one's maiden days") and 처녀작 (cheonyeojak, "a debut work"), where it means "before marriage" or "first."

Other meanings

  • unmarried womannoun

Related words

  • 처녀작cheonyeojakdebut worknoun

Word lists with this word